A/N: Heey! I'm here again! I got this chapter... written almost in a day. I'm happy! Oh, I'm changing that Red Moon will be called just Red Moon. But acutlly when the speak Japanese they still say it as Akai no Tsuki as that's what Tsukiko always writes on the heist notes: 赤い の 月.

Chapter 40.

"Excuse me, what? What happened?"

Tsukiko sighed. She knew she shouldn't have told Miyoshi about everything that happened on the airship. But then Sonoko would've told everything and exaggerated it. Or then the class president would've tried to investigate the matter.

"Yes, I got thrown out along with Edogawa-kun. Kid dived after us thus saving us. Later we returned to the ship by jumping from a police helicopter. Sato-keiji and Takagi-keiji can testify if you don't believe me." The blonde explained.

"I do believe you. That all just… You really get into trouble…" Miyoshi shrugged.

"I know… It's not my fault though." Tsukiko muttered. At that the other bespectacled girl took a glance on her watch.

"Great. We need to hurry now or we'll be late."

"What?" But Miyoshi had started to run already. Tsukiko sprinted after her. Why they had to have school right after the weekend of adventure? The blonde had even returned back to Tokyo on the day after incident because Jodie had told her to. Travelling alone in a bullet train and missing the visit the Bell Tree Tower? No thanks. But it happened… She even missed the okonomiyaki with Heiji and Conan i.e. Magic File 4!

"Well, at least Subaru and Jodie don't know about my… stunt."

When the two arrived to their classroom, the whole class was buzzing. Literally. Everyone was chatting with each other of texting with someone.

"Whoa… What's this…" Tsukiko asked aloud.

"If I were to guess…" Miyoshi picked one abandoned newspaper from some boy's desk. "It's about the new thief or whatever she is…"

"Oh… You mean Red Moon? The one claiming to be Kaitou Kid's apprentice?" The blonde tilted her head.

"Yeah. They got a vague description of her on Sunday's paper and now the whole Japan is talking about it. Crazy… She has appeared only once!" The class president scoffed and showed the other girl a fuzzy photo on the front page of the day's paper. "And she's still in the headlines…"

"Hmm…" Tsukiko took the offered paper. "Why would she? I mean… She only appeared once, like you said." Faking this all was easier than she thought. Maybe because she was merely fishing for Miyoshi's opinions now.

"Hmph… The media is speculating of course! Her age, nationality – after all Kaitou Kid appeared in Paris for the first time –, her exact connection with Kid, personality and goals…"

"Oh, I see…" The blonde folded the paper with a slight smile on her face. "I can't wait to see how the heists shall turn out now."

"Well, I guess Conan-kun will be frustrated. Predicting one thief is one thing but two…"

"And Nakamori-keibu will get grey hair."

"That too."

The teacher came to the class and the lesson began. No one paid attention though and the teacher didn't even notice. Tsukiko was also among in her own thoughts as she read the two page article speculating about Red Moon.

"I can't wait to show this to Kaito…" She grinned. When she lifted her gaze up though, she noticed Miyoshi watching her. "Sorry, I didn't read the paper today." She smiled a bit sheepishly.

"It's alright." Mai smiled back. "I'm also interested a bit about this turn of events. Not as much as about my cases though…" The class president added.

The speculation about Red Moon continued throughout the week in the papers but moved from morning papers to tabloids and magazines. Tsukiko didn't bother buying every single one of those magazines as they repeated each other when there wasn't that much information yet. But she did browse some of them in stores when she happened to spot a new article.

And for her surprise Subaru didn't talk about this new thief with her at all. Maybe the man had managed to avoid the hype or then he wasn't interested. Tsukiko did spot him reading the newspaper she had brought with her on Monday and raise an eye brow at something there but she couldn't be sure what it was since the paper had naturally had several other articles.

But anything that happened during that week couldn't top the next week's Thursday. The day didn't start that well though. First Tsukiko was terribly late from school. Then the lessons were either terribly boring or very difficult for some reason. And lastly she had been meant to hang out with Miyoshi but the other girl had had to cancel on the last minute.

"I've been asked elsewhere. Sorry." The class president apologized.

"Okay… It's a case, right?"

"Yeah… Or rather, my assistance is required with something. I don't know the exact details."

"Right. See you tomorrow then." And they had parted ways.

At home Tsukiko had changed her clothes and after glancing at the homework decided not to do them.

"Screw this. I'm going to a walk." She had tossed her glasses a top of the homework and left then after grabbing her smaller shoulder bag.

Which had led here to her current location, sitting on the low brick fence that surrounded some park. People walked past her on the sidewalk… People coming from work, school… Going home, grocery store, movies, cafes… People on their own, in groups, as couples… People laughing, smiling, chatting… Serious, pensive, indifferent…

"I miss my friends…" Tsukiko laid her eyes on the sidewalk in front of her. "K-chan, Mi-chan… Vi-chan, E-chan… J-kun and… J-kun… You all… I miss you all so damn much." The blonde wiped tears on her sleeve furiously when she noticed them. "Dammit this all…"

"Homesickness?" A female voice asked. Unfortunately familiar female voice that made Tsukiko's skin crawl slightly. She lifted her head up and there stood Vermouth herself in the middle of busy street. The girl had no problems recognizing the woman as she'd just spoken but an outsider would had a bit harder time due the thick braid the blonde hair was tied on and the sunglasses that almost obscured the entire face but were still see-through. It was how well simple disguises worked in this world, the protagonist's glasses being the primary example.

"You were surprisingly easy to find, Shadow." The woman continued and sat next to the girl.

"So? What do you want from me then?" Tsukiko frowned as she took in the woman's outfit. It wasn't her regular motorcycle overall that showed her clavicle and a bit more… This one had a dark brown leather jacket zipped all the way up and dark blue skinny jeans accompanied by black boots. Some blending in then…

"Why do you think I want something from you?" Vermouth laughed. "Here." She offered the girl a cola mug. Tsukiko took it warily and peeked under the lid.

"Fanta. My favourite. But how…?" She looked up at the woman.

"I know exactly who you are and where are you from, Jade."

Tsukiko froze at the sound of the name used but recovered quickly. Of course the disguising crow would find something like that. And if she knew the truth, then it would also explain the nick-name the girl had acquired during Raven Chaser.

"It's pronounced 'Yah-dey'." The girl decided to state. "So… You say that you don't want anything from me but you did come to find me so that must mean that you think that I want something from you."

"Correct." Vermouth smiled. "There is a machine in one of the buildings that organization owns. There is nothing else there and the machine had been abandoned for a few weeks now…"

"And?"

"That was designed to rip a hole between dimensions. Or so I've heard. I don't know how exactly it actually worked. No one else has noticed anything though…"

"You noticed me."

"Yes. Your reaction when I first saw you was just so unique. And then you were actually smiling when you saw me while that FBI agent Starling was crying over the death of Akai Shuichi. So I started suspecting that something had happened in that forgotten branch of the Organization. And I found the log of testing that machine on the day Kir was caught."

"…I can feel a 'but' coming next."

"No one believes the machine actually works as you didn't appear there so all founding was cut away. And according to the memos I found, it only works in one direction."

"So what use do I have with it then?" Tsukiko huffed and glanced at her Jaffa mug then. It smelled really good… "If it can't get me home."

"Aren't you at least a bit curious to know what's going on at your home? What I managed to see before it shut the connection from me, is that the time from your supposed leave has passed a few years now… and you're still there." Vermouth leaned her cheek against her fist and gazed at the girl lazily, observing her every reaction.

"What!?"

"Yes, it's like you've never left your home but you've changed… Or so your little brother is telling to that you time to time."

"…C-Can I see what's going on there then? Can you take me to that building?" The girl asked shakily. A smirk appeared on the woman's lips.

"I was waiting for you to ask that." She told the girl. "But first you need to drink that."

"There's some sleeping pill, right?"

"Of course. I can't go telling you the locations of organization buildings even if you are too scared to say anything that could disturb the Plot."

"…" There was no reply as Tsukiko began sucking the Jaffa through the straw. Thankfully there was no extra taste in the drink. "How much did you see, when you got information from world?" She finally asked.

"A bit this and that. Mostly snippets that proved that you were indeed from another world, like moments when you were reading some very old cases."

"Ahaha… I see… Did you like the drawing style back then?"

"Not a catastrophe in those. Anyways, you should see more than I did as it's connected to your life at the moment."

"Okay… Why are you doing this then? Why are you helping me?"

"Because I want to?" Vermouth suggested.

"We both know that isn't a sufficient answer…" The mug was empty now and Tsukiko tossed it to the nearest trash bin. "Shall we go then?"

"Yes." The two females got up from the fence and walked to a motorcycle that was parked not far away. Vermouth took her helmet and gave another to Tsukiko.

"The drug should start working in the next ten minutes so make sure you hold tight and tell me when you feel faint." She told the girl.

"I already feel dizzy…" Tsukiko muttered as she put on the helmet.

The girl managed to stay wake a few more minutes into the ride until her head dropped against the woman's back. Her hold around the actress's waist didn't loosen though and they made it safely to the underground garage of the building. Vermouth placed the sleeping girl to sit on the ground against the motorbike and went to check that the building was empty once again. One could never be too careful.

"It's in the top floor. Elevators aren't working anymore either since the power was cut but I'm sure the stairs are no problem to you."

"What are you hinting? I'm in better fit here than back home." Tsukiko glared the woman walking next to her. Vermouth just laughed.

"Nothing, nothing…"

"If the power is cut, how is that machine working then?"

"It has its own generator in the room."

The room was large and dimly lit by some electric lanterns. Vermouth had probably brought them there. The shape of the room was rectangle, not very wide but quite long – maybe 5x25 meters approximately… First along the wall was some desks full of papers – someone had left in a hurry, not caring about the notes left behind. After the desks were low control panels, on the both sides of the room.

"Okay, I'll stay clear of those buttons…"

Then there was some sort of grey cabinets with lights on the doors. Maybe they were the generators… Between the cabinets was a cylinder with a diameter of one and half meters reaching from the floor to ceiling, leaving very little space to walk between it and the generators. And naturally the cylinder also had lights and buttons on it. All the whitish lights in there made the machine a bit eerie looking and cold with its dark bluish grey steel.

"Walk past it." Vermouth instructed, pushing Tsukiko to the right of the cylinder/pillar. There was a round shape on the floor that was divided in six sectors and one circle in the middle. The shape sunk into the floor a bit as it processed to the center but the circle in the middle was a bit convex in turn. Behind the shape was a bit of something too, taking the space of the empty corners so the room ended to the shape. Tsukiko looked on the side to see that the generators also hugged the shape of the circle.

"That's where you were supposed to arrive." The woman instructed, leading the girl of stand in the small circle. She went to pick up a helmet from the floor. It wasn't the same style motorcycle helmet than the two had used when arriving but more like one that Suzuki Jirokichi used. "Put on this helmet. It will allow you to see everything that happened after you left. I don't know how much time has passed though so don't be surprised, alright?"

Tsukiko took the helmet silently. She had no other opinion than trust the woman in this matter. Besides she was terribly curious to know how the things were at home. So she put it on and drew a visor in front of her eyes. (A/N: It's like Sera's helmet actually but since Tsukiko hasn't read Detective's Nocturne yet she can't compare them.)

"Ready?" The girl heard Vermouth's voice from distance. The woman was probably standing by the cylinder now. Tsukiko gave a thumbs-up. "Three… Two… One…" Vermouth pressed a button on the cylinder and pulled down a lever. Floating screens invaded Tsukiko's field of vision.

"Do you see them? The screens?"

"Yeah… How can I get through them?"

"Take one you want to see and simply touch it. Those are visible to only you thanks the helmet."

Tsukiko reached to the nearest one. In a flash of light she was watching the view of the screen right on the visor of the helmet, like she was there herself.

Jade walked through the side street and hurried home. Her brother was sitting on the sofa and watching some document from the television.

"Hiya, Lari." The girl greeted the boy.

"Hiya, Jade." Came the reply. "Did you have fun with your friends?"

"Yeah. But we also did the homework so now I'm free." Jade lifted her arms above her head and stretched.

"Hmph, are you going to continue your DC marathon next? The one you started last week?" Lari gave a bit crooked smile to his sister. Jade looked at him in confusion.

"Why would I do that? I'm not interested in it anymore." And she headed to her room, leaving the boy watching after her in even greater confusion.

"But you watched it even yesterday and were excited about the recent files…"

Tsukiko blinked as the memory ended.

"My all DC fangirliness… Where did it go?" She asked aloud.

"Excuse me?"

"This was from the day I arrived to this world. I'm certain of it. And just before, with my friends we were talking about making our separate DC marathons a joint project by watching the episodes together. But now…"

"Maybe all your 'fangirliness' came with you here."

"Yeah…" Tsukiko waved her hand over the screens visible only to her. Better get this over with soon.

Thirty minutes later the girl took off the helmet and sat down on the floor.

"A little pause…" She sighed and hung her head a bit. "Three years… It's been three years now…"

"…That's quite lot." Vermouth stated thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I've almost finished high school now. And in a way I've missed all that fun they had."

"But you still were there."

"Yeah…"

Tsukiko's cell phone rang. She didn't recognize the number but answered anyways.

"Hello? …Oh, Jodie-san! I'm actually at town at the moment and taking care of a few things… No, I don't know when I'll be back. Maybe in a few hours so I most likely will miss the dinner… Yeah, sorry… Say, where are you calling from? I don't recognize the number… Camel's cell? Okay… Yeah, bye."

"That FBI agent keeps good tabs on you then…" Vermouth smirked.

"She is my guardian. And after getting into hospital thrice… she tends to worry." Tsukiko pocketed the phone and took the helmet again. "Okay, time to catch up with the manga and the movies then!"

Jade opened her computer and put headphones connected to it on. She opened DCTP, the trusty page translating Detective Conan manga files, and began reading. It had been forever since she last had done anything related to the series in question.

"I wonder why. It's such a good series after all." The girl mused aloud as she flipped through the files, commenting them time to time.

"That is so Bourbon. Finally he shows his face!"

"Takagiih! Don't die! Why you again?!"

"Uuu… Cold case… Déjà vu! Why Subaru you are always brushing your teeth when some comes to a surprise visit..."

"Mystery Train. Blegh that case, but the showdown was good. So many obvious suspicions confirmed now. Thank you Gosho!"

"Kid thought Sera was a boy? This is too funny…"

"Who is that guy!? Yumi's love story? Why? Thankfully it's a bit different than the rest…"

"Jodie appears again? Yay!"

"And Makoto!"

"Sera has two brothers? And who is that kid?"

"I SMELL PLOT! FINALLY!"

"Jade, what are you yelling here?" Lari appeared to the doorway.

"Oh, just some catching up…" Jade waved her hand dismissively. "I don't get why I stopped reading this."

"…Why did you decide picking up again?"

"Umm… I'm not sure… Curiosity? And Himaruya(author of Hetalia) isn't updating anything…"

"Okay… Well, it was time for you to read it again. We've been worried." Lari smiled.

"We?"

"Your friends and I. You were such a diehard fan and then you just stopped."

"Yeah…" Jade clicked the forum open since she had read everything she could find. "Stupid Golden week… I want the next chapter of Scarlet Series…"

"Don't forget the three movies: 15, 16 and 17."

"Have you seen them?"

"Yeah, I began reading DC a bit after you stopped."

"Were the movies good?"

"Decent. The 18th – this year's – is better than those combined though."

"Are you on the forum by the way?" Jade indicated the DCTP forum open on the screen.

"Yeah, but I'm not telling my username to you though."

"Why not?"

"Just because…" The boy grinned. Jade pouted.

"Well, I'm going to make an own account anyways." She announced then.

"Do you know what username you're going to use?"

"Yep. MoonRaven, the same than I have at FanFiction!"

"I see…"

"I'm never going to give up on this series again!"

"That's great to hear…" Lari left the room then, leaving Jade to read forums and watch the three movies she's missed.

Tsukiko took off the helmet with a smile. Now she had not only caught up with her life but also with DC.

"Satisfied?" Vermouth asked.

"Yeah. Thank you." The girl smiled. "Say… is it possible to get things from my world? After all what I saw, I'm not affecting the Plot in the released mangafiles."

"What do you have in your mind then?"

"Well, first of all I want that cell phone my other self has… Blue Lumia 620. And there is someone that I'd like to get to help me here…"

"I'll see what we can do."

"Good, I'd like to get him here as soon as possible so he can adjust being here and this world can adjust to his presence…" A sly smile appeared on Tsukiko's face.

"… I think I shall not ask."

"Don't. It won't be a surprise then."

An hour later, the motorbike dropped Tsukiko near Mouri Detective Agency where the girl decided to ask the question bugging her the whole day.

"Say… Why did you decide to help me like this? I don't think you'd do anything like this without a price."

"You are already paying the price by being here and making this game interesting." The woman replied and drove away. Tsukiko frowned.

"Game… Yes, we both are playing this game where we are betting our lives in. We both are manipulating the said game… But the difference between us to is, Vermouth, that while you disregard the rules and aim for your own purposes while not knowing anything about the outcome… I disregard the rules to keep the known outcome in line and work in the shadows. I protect the Plot since I know it while you try to break it in pieces with my help. Sorry, Miss Rotten Apple, but that's not happening. You might be an acquaintance of the Shadow but you are not an ally."

A/N: Yesh! It's done! Tsuki has gotten her refill to her DC knowledge! Oh, and thank you all for the reviews to the previous chapter! I was so happy that there came so many and so quickly! Thank you!

Replies to Reviews:

-chibianimefan26:
I'm glad you liked it. I also had fun to write those parts.
Yes, Ran is tsundere. Or at least when it's about Shinichi.
I guess pretty many people have that sort of fear of heights. Can't stand if beneath your feet the surface is see-through...
Yeah, gullible, gullible people. Maybe it's the peaceful Japanese thing Jody Hopper mentioned. Although that wouldn't make much sense as the main cast of DC is running into bodies all the time. Very peaceful, indeed...
No crossdressing Conan because it didn't happen in the original files either. and Conan wouldn't have done it even if it were Ran asking him to. And she wouldn't ask.
Thank you, we shall see again. We shall chat again. ;)

-Pure-chan:
Haha, I great to hear that you liked it.
Yeah, I can see that the romanization is a bit too obvious even though it's what the people in the story will hear unless someone speaks English.
The Pizzeria is originally an inside joke back home. I can't really explain it well... There's a person calling to a pizza-kebab place to order something to eat. The person who answers doesn't speak that well Finnish as he's foreign and there is some miscommunication... I really can't explain it...
Nah, it's okay. Many great ideas have been used and re-used when it comes to anything. Sometimes even I feel like I'm copying some people with my fics even if I get the idea before readin those fics.
Really? That's great/funny to hear. ^-^

-Hikari:
You're welcome! And I take all suggestions seriously but it depends how I can use them. Yours was really important.
The Pizzeria Yutaka mention when Conan called with the radio was to remind the 'leader' that the two he had sent to check room 28 still had returned and won't since Red Moon dealt with them. Mostly the mentions of the Pizzeria were just for trolling the 'leader'. But maybe it will have a better part. I just came up with it so I doesn't have a proper place yet.
I get it and as you can see I'll use 'Red Moon' from now on. Thank you for the opinion.
And the next chapter is here!

-Akai4Ever:
Thank you. :)

-GeekyGenius:
Thank you. :D
Sorry, I'm using Red Moon from now on since Akai no Tsuki is a bit too obvious. Pizzeria Yukata might appear again. I don't know yet...
This far I'm not sure about the London Arc. I don't see any reason or way for Tsukiko to go to London... I have other plans for her though to make up for it. I liked the case though the motive was stupid.
We see again!

-Mullkkkkkk:
Thank you very much. You comment means a lot to me.

-kittyfinatic515:
I know that they make noise but they are handier than paint brushes... Maybe she should find a red calligraphy pen... Or then bottles that don't make that much noise.
You're welcome, it's one of my favorites too.

And I'll reply to chibianimefan26's comment on The Death of a Shadow:

-Yeah, it's dark. And my mindset isn't even that dark!
Thank you, it took a bit of a work.
Uh, what? Yeah, I get the Kuroshitsuji reference. *blink blink*
I forgive you.
I have an idea for a counterpart poem but at the moment I'm too lazy to start thinking about it.

Okay, folks! See ya again someday! Next is the Thirteen Red T-shirts case in two parts! Kage shall make an appearance again!